this is bbc news. i'm lewis vaughan jones. our top stories. a war of words between the brazilian president and some state governors over the vaccine roll out and rising deaths from coronavirus. stop all of this fussing and wining. how long are you going to keep crying? we have to face our problems.— our problems. importantly, brazil has _ our problems. importantly, brazil has to _ our problems. importantly, brazil has to fight, - our problems. importantly, brazil has to fight, to - brazil has to fight, to viruses, the coronavirus and the — viruses, the coronavirus and the president virus. the un is urged to come up with a strong international response in the wake of the myanmar military coup. australia insists italy's decision to block the export of coronavirus jabs won't affect its vaccination programme. china's congress set to unveil new plans to squeeze hong kong's democracy and ensure beijing loyalists are in charge.

welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe we start in brazil. for two consecutive days the country has been registering record deaths from covid—19. on wednesday, 1900 people died in a 24—hour period. on thursday, more than 75,000 new cases were registered. after the us — brazil is the worst—hit country in the world with more than a quarter of a million deaths. and yet the country's presidentjair bolsonaro has been criticising lockdown measures by state governors. this is him speaking to a group of farmers. you did not stay at home, you

weren't cowards. we have face our problems. stop all of this fussing and whining. how long are you going to keep crying? we have two face our problems. in stark contrast to the president, sao paulo's governorjoao doria has announced two weeks of �*code red' restrictions starting on saturday. i asked him what he thought of president bolsonaro's comments. it is a crazy guy. earlier today president bolsonaro attacked the mayors and governors who went to buy vaccines and help the country to end the pandemic. we said we had to be strong. that we had to stop crying and face the problem. how can we face the problem seeing people dying every day? amd the health system in brazil, lewis, is on the verge of collapse. president bolsonaro's denial has contributed to this. vaccines, icu beds,

they are missing. there is no national coordination to combat the pandemic in brazil. mr bolsonaro continues weakening the health protocols. it makes it more difficult to end the pandemic and in fact, it's only getting worse. he will say that he is focused on the nation's economy, on the nation's mental health. we have to save lives before we save the economy. we have to save lives. lives at these moment are more important than the economy. if we don't have people alive, how can we consume? how can we have an economy in brazil? president bolsonaro, since october, he has not started only doing this now, at this moment, which is incredible. we need more vaccines as quick as possible to save lives. mainly because of the new variant of the virus. unfortunately, brazil has

to fight at the moment two viruses, the coronavirus, and the bolsonaro virus, a sadness for the brazilians. you talk about a bolsonaro virus, but i think you are making it his game, you are making it a political issue not health? we don't need politics at the moment. we need vaccines. we need help, we need help to save the brazilian people. i am governor of sao paulo, and we created a quarantine plan that respects the evolution of the pandemic to open or close the various sectors. at this time, we are in the red phase, in the whole state, only essential service will open, as will schools, and it is a strict measure, but social isolation is necessary at this time. we decided to keep the schools open, respecting the face to face frequency limit of 35%

of the students to assist children in socially vulnerable situations. we tried to access the technology conduct virtual classes. i understand the decisions you have had to make, and obviously the political decisions are a matter of compromise and they are what elected leaders are supposed to do. but you clearly disagree so strongly with your president, bolsonaro, so will you run against him for president? it is not time to talk about that. we have elections in 2022 and now we have a big problem and we how to save lives. it's not time to discuss elections in brazil. it is time to save. to have vaccines and save people. it's not the time to discuss politics and to discuss elections. let's go to myanmar and potentially a very significant day on friday.

the violence in the country will be discussed at the united nations security council, as international leaders condemn the actions of the military. the british prime minister borisjohnson has said he's horrified by what's happening. and washington has just announced fresh export controls. thursday saw more protests on the streets as our south east asia correspondent, jonathan head, reports. every revolution has its martyrs, and 19—year—old kyel sin has been made a symbol of this unequal struggle against a powerful and merciless military. she was given a hero's sendoff in her home city of mandalay. one of 38 people, shot dead in a day of violence, when the security forces opened fire on demonstrators here and in other cities. at least eight died here in the yangon suburb. makeshift shrines dotting the road where they fell in a hail of gunfire. but if the intent was to terrorise people off the streets, it failed. people were out again in large numbers today, defending the barricades

they have built, to keep the military out, to show that their rule is not accepted. and in what we can only guess is a de—escalation, the police chased protesters today using paintball guns rather than the assault rifles they have used before to such devastating effect. this is a battle for control of myanmar�*s cities which the military with all its weapons has not yet won, more than a month after its coup. there's been plenty of international outrage, not much action. the people of myanmar are on their own. fighting an army which rarely counts the human cost of its heavy—handed repression. jonathan head, bbc news.

the european commission has, for the first time, banned the export of a batch of coronavirus vaccines. italy requested a quarter of a million doses of the astrazeneca jab remain in the country, rather than be sent to australia. astrazeneca hasn't commented. australia says its domestic vaccine production is on track. i asked the australian medical association's president what he thought of this latest move from the eu. (tx sot) it's certainly disappointing to see the vaccine nationalism rearing its head and australia has a right to access vaccine is like any other country through its contracts that the government has negotiated with these large manufacturers. we are a little protected by our our upcoming local availability both at the moment australia is completely dependent on importing vaccine into the

country. and you mention the phrase vaccine nationalism, something that the united nations and the who have been trying to guard against, but the problem is that when you have self interest of governments across the world it something difficult to avoid. it is difficult to avoid and australia is doing the right thing by being part of the covax initiative and supporting our neighbours, the specific, pacific islands with the production as we go through the pandemic and it's a little ironic that europe didn't seem to keen on the astrazeneca vaccine with no issue, and can't from national leaders and once the uk demonstrated it was a really good vaccine and they sent a shipment to australia and it was black. what about the australian performance more

broadly with the vaccine? it looks like it is behind the uk, for example. australia has had an extraordinary response of the pandemic through closing the borders, isolating our selves from the rest are well and taking strong public health measures. we've not really had an emergency. we had one significant outbreak in one of the states but for a long time we have seen little if any community transmission and not a single death since october last year, so there's no urgency in australia but the vaccine like for every other country is the only way out of this and from the snap lock downs when a case gets into the community and the subsequent mental health impacts, physical health impacts on their economic impacts on every australian and we are dependent on vaccines and looking forward to the local production which starts in late march. ijust wanted to pick

up on the strong response in handling this and all of australia and part of that was hotel corentin braendlin book coming into the country but i gather you have some concerns over the way it has been handled. hotel quarantine, and the whole, has been an enormous success in australia because it has allowed limited movement in and out of the country for people who need that, for australians to come home and also for impotent workers to come including health care workers but the reality is that virus has mutated and become more difficult to control has been that we have seen isolated outbreaks in most of our states now which have led them to a snap lockdown and other public health interventions which have inconvenienced and distressed our population. we are looking to tighten it up and recognise the airborne spread of the virus to make sure that the

ventilation and physical characteristics of the hotels that were not designed for granting that we picked the right ones and we are looking at longer—term options like specific facilities. and staying in australasia, new zealand has lifted tsunami evacuation orders covering large swathes of its coastline saying "the largest waves have now passed". it followed tremors, the largest of which had a magnitude of 8.1, centred on the kermadec islands. they're around nine hundred kilometres from new zealand's north—eastern coastline. the tsunami warning triggered evacuations in parts of new zealand, with tens of thousands of people told stay with us on bbc news, still to come: the selling of rainforest land on facebook — a bbc investigations forces brazils supreme court to take action

first, the plates slipped gently off the restaurant tables, then suddenly the tables, chairs and the people crashed sideways and downwards. it was just a matter of seconds as the ferry lurched onto her side. the hydrogen bomb, on a remote pacific atoll, and the americans have successfully tested a weapon whose explosive force dwarfed that dropped on hiroshima. i heard the news earlier and i was so heart went bang. the constitutional rights of these . marchers and their rights asj citizens of the united states means they should be protected even the right to protect them l out so they don't get their i heads broken and are sent to hospital. it's a religious controversy and i know you don't want to say too much about it. does it worry you?. i think everything will be all right in the end, as they say.

this is bbc world news, the latest headlines. brazil's president pours scorn on state governors criticising the vaccine roll out saying they should stop all the fussing and whining and face our problems as the crackdown on protestors continues in myanmar the country's sacked ambassador to the un calls for immediate international action against the military leaders as china opens the annual people's congress in beijing, there's a new threat to the remaining independence of hong kong. according to state media, beijing willaim to, what it says "improve" hong kong's electoral system. president xijinping was given this reception as he arrived at the great hall of the people on thursday.

it's potentially the biggest blow to the city's democracy since its handoverfrom british rule in i997.(read 0n) 0ur correspondent in beijing stephen mcdonell gave me more details. every year some 3000 people come to beijing to rubber—stamp new laws and arrangements already approved by the communist party senior leadership at the national people's congress, but it's interesting, because at this congress we get to see what the new measures are and the congress is already under way and there are lots of things that people will be watching, for example, they have set a gdp target of over 6% this years and there will be people looking at the renewable energy plans and the new five year plan and a lot of economic figures to be released in the coming hours.

but what is set to dominate are the changes to the way in which hong kong's mini parliament is elected and people who follow hong kong politics closely will know that it's already rigged there, anyway. it is so hard for the pro—democracy camp to make inroads. the way in which it is counted pretty much always guarantees that the probation camp, if can put it that way will always control that body but in recent times these pro—democracy candidates have been doing so well that it seems to be worrying the chinese government and also the local hong kong government, essentially installed by beijing, that they are changing the electoral system to make it even more difficult for anyone who is not within that pro—beijing camp to do well and as i say, it's already heavily skewed in favour

of the pro—beijing camp, so by making further changes, i think a lot of people will give up on that as a sort of option if you are within that pro—democracy camp. i mean, why even stand if it is impossible for you to have any decent representation in the legislative council there? potentially even more bad news for pro—democracy supporters in hong kong. while you were talking, we showed live pictures from inside the hall in beijing of events under way and this was the rubber—stamping, very stage—managed, but xijinping, has he been increasing his control further over this event and others? arriving for years now, without any question, xi jinping is not under threat from the communist party. he is a powerful figure and there is a cult of personality around him,

in the propaganda from the communist party, the likes of which we have not seen see the mao era, so the idea of him being in any way under threat from the party, it is nonexistent, so what he gets is what happens. for example, the number two figure in the party, he used to be quite a reasonably powerful position, much diminished now under the leadership of xijinping but nevertheless this is a person who delivers the government work report according to tradition. and thanks to stephen there. let's take you to the

southern california desert now, where emergency services are at the scene of a rail crash. around thirty carriages of a freight train have derailed according to the san bernadino county fire service. it's happened in the mojave desert around 180 miles north of los angeles. despite these pretty dramatic images — there've been no injuries. specialists in hazardous materials have been involved in a clean—up operation as the cargo's thought to include flammable liquid. it's not yet known what caused it. every week ros atkins takes a look at one of the weeks main stories. this week, he's looked at the us relationship with saudi arabia — and what it tells us about a global power struggle. it's been six weeks sincejoe biden became president and six weeks to turn campaign promises into policies, promises like this on saudi arabia. we into policies, promises like this on saudi arabia. we are in fact not going _ this on saudi arabia. we are in fact not going to _ this on saudi arabia. we are in fact not going to sell— this on saudi arabia. we are in fact not going to sell more - fact not going to sell more weapons, we are in fact going to make them pay the price, and make them the pariah that they are. . make them the pariah that they are, ., ., , ., make them the pariah that they are. . .,, ., are. that was on the campaign trail and this _ are. that was on the campaign trail and this is _ are. that was on the campaign trail and this is the _ are. that was on the campaign trail and this is the joe - are. that was on the campaign trail and this is the joe biden l trail and this is thejoe biden administration in power. we trail and this is the joe biden administration in power. we are very focused _ administration in power. we are very focused on _ administration in power. we are very focused on future - administration in power. we are very focused on future contact l very focused on future contact and that — very focused on future contact and that is part of why we have

captured — and that is part of why we have captured this not as a rupture but a — captured this not as a rupture but a recalibration. the complex _ but a recalibration. the complex bond - but a recalibration. the complex bond betweenj but a recalibration. tie: complex bond between the us but a recalibration. tt9 complex bond between the us and saudi arabia won't easily be broken and joe biden faces an early test because of a murder. a saudi journalist was a us resident and in 2018 he entered the saudi consulate in istanbul and was murder. this week a us intelligence report believes that the killing was improved —— approved by the saudi that the killing was improved -— approved by the saudi prince and despite pressure from senior democrats, the biden administration and sanctions against some saudis but not the prince. herfiance responded prince. her fiance responded and prince. herfiance responded and said if the crown prince is not punished, it will be a danger to us all on the stain on our humour see but there was no punishment from donald trump orjoe bryan. this 0bama era ambassador era, jim smith commerce helps us understand. i do not understand why we would

not have done very much to have done the advancement of us interests in other than to give them satisfaction. this interests in other than to give them satisfaction.— them satisfaction. this map hel - s them satisfaction. this map helps explains _ them satisfaction. this map helps explains the - them satisfaction. this map| helps explains the american interest. saudi arabia sits alongside the golf against iran and america needs saudi arabia to to come to the arabians and there is always the position of there is always the position of the us superpower precision to consider as this commentator explains. consider as this commentator ex - lains. :, , consider as this commentator exlains. . , , consider as this commentator exlains. ., , , i. explains. the reality is you would rather _ explains. the reality is you would rather have - explains. the reality is you would rather have a - explains. the reality is you j would rather have a deeply flawed ally then an adversary in this theatre of new power and big power competition where saudi arabia might depend more on china or russia for its arms deliveries for its economic strength. deliveries for its economic strength-— deliveries for its economic strenuth. , :, , strength. this may often be unpalatable _ strength. this may often be unpalatable but _ strength. this may often be unpalatable but to - strength. this may often be unpalatable but to america | strength. this may often be l unpalatable but to america it is seen as necessary. a marriage of convenience, if you like the stop president 0bama understood this and went to saudi arabia, and the dancing president trump understood this as well and so does president biden which is whyjoe biden microbus promise to make saudi

arabia a pariah is unlikely to come to pass. . brazil's supreme federal court has ordered an inquiry into the sale of protected areas of the amazon rainforest on facebook. it follows a bbc investigation, which revealed plots as large as 1,000 football pitches listed in the platform's marketplace classified ads. bbc brasil�*s joao fellett sent this report from sao paulo. the indigenous community says invasions here are getting worse and worse. with a little help from the government, they are forced to patrol the territory themselves, trying to catch and get the rain forest cleared for cattle pasture. deforestation in brazil is at a ten—year high and communities like these sake the president bolts are a government has weakened environmental protections. last week, our investigation revealed just how bad the situation in brazil has become with land grabbers now using facebook to illegally sell the protective rainforest they have invaded

without fear of reprisals. this woman has been working with the indigenous community to fight deforestation for more than 30 yea rs. she says the supreme federal decision and says that it gives us hope. they are very helpful so are we, buy us and indigenous communities we have talked to and other organisations are celebrating and saying finally someone has come and exposed what is going on. land grabbing is the main driver of deforestation in the amazon and campaigners have said that the government is not doing enough to stop the growing number of invasions into protected areas like indigenous reserves. this decision by the supreme court puts pressure on the brazilian president to do something about land invaders. maybe they are regarding himself as an ally. but it is notjust the president's administration which has come under pressure. there have been widespread costs here for fate facebook itself to do more.

land grabbing is the main driver of deforestation in the amazon and campaigners have said that the government is not doing enough to stop the growing number of invasions into protected areas like indigenous reserves. this decision by the supreme court puts pressure on the brazilian president to do something about land invaders. maybe they are regarding himself as an ally. but it is notjust the president's administration which has come under pressure. there have been widespread costs here for fate facebook itself to do more. if ahe drug dealer posts an ad on facebook to sell narcotics, would facebook accept that? the revelations you have made clearly shows that facebook accepts that it is advertising and publicising criminal activity. facebook said it was willing to work with local authorities but would not take any independent action of its own and the social media giant has been true to its word. when we checked online today, facebook still had not taken down the illegal advert

we reported to them which is selling land inside the reserve. protected areas of the amazon rainforest remain available to buyers around the world at the click of a button. and finally — a new first for the korean boy—band bts — who have been named the top global recording artists of 2020. the award is given out by the ifpi — the organisation which represents the recorded music industry worldwide. bts are the first performers who don't usually sing in english to win it. they released three albums in the last year, topped the charts in the us, and also broke streaming records on youtube and spotify. you can reach me on twitter —

i'm @lvaughanjones. this is bbc news. goodbye. a colder start to the day for many of our speakers behind a weather front that has been taking southwards we have cold air but it still looks mainly dry and quite settled during the day ahead albeit rather chilly and the origin of the air right the way from the polls, following the weak front that gave cloud through thursday and into the start of thursday night, quite a keen breeze coming down the north sea coast so temperatures hovering in eastern areas and holding up in the south—west and close to freezing in rural areas and further north. a crisp start and a better chance of dry, bright, sunny weather through the day ahead stopped a few wintry showers following the weather front given how cold it is and they will continue through the day that they will be few and far

between and temperatures are down between seven and eight is below average for the time of year and lower than the last couple of days but with the sunshine and lighter winds, hopefully that will compensate. during the coming night friday into saturday we keep the clear skies and it will be widely frosty, quite a sharp frost and these towns and cities will be lower out in the suburbs and that is because we keep the high pressure with the light winds and clearer skies so temperatures still with lengthy nights will drop away but perhaps some of the atlantic influence coming in later in their weekend over saturday, subtle changes in wind direction across the north and west and a brisk wind on friday and saturday but help to break the cloud elsewhere but still chilly after the cold start with some mist and fog in the mornings through the weekend because of that light wind and it will be slow to clear and once it does hopefully sunshine but this is the big change, potential for rain across the north and north—west of

scotland during the day and the start of the atlantic influence, if you like, and the temperatures will live slowly and elsewhere with the light wind regime mist and fog will be with us on sunday morning. by the end of monday and into tuesday we will see the effect of the atlantic and we could have quite a deep area of low pressure rattling in through tuesday and potentially on wednesday so it look more unsettled as we go into the new week but for the week and still chilly, frosty, foggy nights, fine days. goodbye.

this is bbc news, the headlines: the vaccine roll out in brazil has come in for sharp criticism by several state governors who are also at odds with the president over lockdown measures which they want to impose and he does not. there's been a surge in cases across the country and two days of record death tolls. the us has imposed new sanctions on myanmar as the crackdown by the military against anti—coup protestors continues. a un security council meeting is scheduled for friday with the un's special rapporteur on human rights suggesting they should impose an arms embargo and targeted sanctions on the militaryjunta. china's annual parliamentary session has begun amid reports that it plans to change the way elections are conducted in hong kong. it's being seen as the latest attempt to squeeze out the pro—democrarcy opposition. now on bbc news, it's hardtalk with stephen sackur.